1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for applying a hair product to the base of the hair, in particular a product for dyeing the base of the hair. The invention also concerns a conditioning/applicator assembly equipped with such a device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oxidation dyes, also known as permanent dyes, are used for coloring a person's white hair as a whole. A month after application, however, the hair has grown again and the base of the hair corresponding to the regrown length is white, whereas the rest of the hair is dyed. Another, local application must then be made to the base of the hair in order to dye the white part of the hair.
In FR-A-2,482,431 and in U.S. Pat. 4,209,027, hair product applicator devices are described comprising typically an applicator end-piece which can be used to separate the hair, and spreading means in the form of an arrangement of bristles for distributing the applied product in an appropriate manner. In all the embodiments illustrated in these documents, the separation of the hair on either side of a part, the application of the product in the vicinity of the part, and the spreading of the product necessitate at least two successive passes, which makes application a long, tedious process. The reason for this is that, in these devices, the spreading member is so arranged relative to the applicator end-piece that it is impossible to perform the three operations mentioned above in a single movement. The design of these devices is, moreover, relatively complicated, making them wholly unattractive from the point of view of the cost. In addition, their use is far from simple and user-friendly.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,865,383 discloses a device for applying a product to the hair in which the product is applied by means of a rotating brush. In this device the brush applies the product to the scalp, but it is unable to spread it satisfactorily. The mechanism is also complex and expensive to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,247 discloses a device for dyeing sections of hair. It consists of a means for separating the section of hair to be treated, combined with a means for applying the product to the section. Such a device is very complicated to use and requires at least two passes for each application. Furthermore, owing to the arrangement of the application means and the spreading means, some of the applied product can escape from the action of the spreading means and be distributed where it is not wanted.